Attention Oregon birders, I am pleased to announce a great community science opportunity in Oregon! Klamath Bird Observatory is partnering with Intermountain Bird Observatory to carry out the Western Asio Flammeus Landscape Study (WAfLS). This community science project, now spanning eight western states, is designed to gather information to better evaluate the population status of the Short-eared Owl. Traditional survey data have indicated that Short-eared Owl populations have declined by more than 60% in the last 40 years. The Oregon Conservation Strategy has identified the Short-eared Owl as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need and the National Audubon Society Climate Initiative has identified the species as Climate Endangered. This survey is a critical step to filling information gaps for this species in Oregon. Results will directly influence high-value conservation actions by state and federal agencies. We are looking to recruit a set of dedicated volunteers to help complete this state-wide survey.

Volunteers will enjoy rural Oregon at twilight while completing two road-based surveys during late winter and early spring. The surveys consist of driving on secondary roads, stopping at 8 to 11 points to complete a five-minute survey. At each point volunteers will record detections of Short-eared Owl as well as some brief habitat information. The entire survey is completed within 90 minutes. Training material will be provided and no experience is necessary to volunteer. Participants will need to follow field and data entry protocols, have use of a vehicle, smartphone or GPS device, and be able to identify a Short-eared Owl.

Spring is here and so are the birds at the Rogue Valley Bird Day festival at Ashland’s North Mountain Park! Join Klamath Bird Observatory biologists at a bird banding demonstration—one of the many family friendly activities planned. The City of Ashland Department of Parks and Recreation with many partners will host the Rogue Valley Bird Day festival Saturday May 11 from 8 am to 12 pm. The festival is our local celebration of World Migratory Bird Day and will feature expert-guided bird walks, The Big Sit feeder watch, thrilling programs featuring birds of prey by Wildlife Images Education Rehabilitation Center, our bird banding demonstration, and the ever-very-popular bird calling contest!

KBO will also present an interactive display and demonstration of eBird tools that help link community birders with conservation science. The display will highlight Community Science tools that allow all birders to contribute to local and international monitoring efforts and existing bird data from Bear Creek and North Mountain Park, which has undergone immense restoration over the past 20 years.

The 2019 World Migratory Bird Day theme is “Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution! Come and learn about the problems birds face from our world-wide plastic problem. And experience the bird migration right here in our beautiful Rogue Valley! Several walks through the park led by area birding experts will visit KBO’s bird banding demonstration. Biologists will share the captured wild birds up close before their release.

Each year, the World Migratory Bird Day advisory committee selects an artist to illustrate the annual conservation theme. Arnaldo Toledo Sotolongo, from Santa Clara, Cuba was selected to create the World Migratory Bird Day 2019 artwork. Arnaldo is a scientific illustrator, photographer and designer, and volunteers in conservation projects in his free time. His 2019 poster illustration tells a passionate though painfully tragic tale.

Now in its 29th year, World Migratory Bird Day has grown from a one-day event into a framework underpinning hundreds of projects and programs year-round. It is coordinated by Environment for the Americas, which provides multi-lingual educational materials and information about birds and bird conservation throughout the Americas. Their programs inspire children and adults to get outdoors, learn about birds, and take part in their conservation.

And by the way, you might be asking how did Global Big Day in October go?

The goal was 5,000 species—and more than 6,000 were recorded on more than 37,000 eBird checklists in just one day! The Cornell Lab of Ornithology would like to thank every participant all over the world. This was the first October Global Big Day ever, and thanks to participation from around the world, more than 6,000 of the world’s 10,000 birds were watched that big, big day—congratulations to us all!

Global Big Day—the massively international collaborative birding event—is October 6! The Global Big Day held in May the last four years has been such a success, another worldwide eBird Big Day in October makes perfect sense! Why October? Because spring is rejuvenating the southern hemisphere and the northern reaches of the world are in the midst of migration. No matter where you are, we’re confident you can find some great birds on October 6. Let’s see what we can find together on the first October Big Day!

Join eBird watchers all over the world for this single day of birding together. Information about participating in this eBird event and tips for finding more species are at the eBird Northwest website.

In 2018 World Migratory Bird Day celebrates Year of the Bird and the actions you can take to help birds; Design and Illustration by Paula Andrea Romero

2018 is the Year of the Bird. To celebrate Ashland-based Klamath Bird Observatory’s Community Education Program is fostering a deeper love for birds and a better understanding of bird conservation and its importance. KBO’s Community Education Program is part of the World Migratory Bird Day education campaign. This year World Migratory Bird Day celebrates 2018 as the Year of the Bird. As such, KBO Education Programs are focusing on the actions we all can take to help birds, 365 days of the year. Every day is World Migratory Bird Day at KBO.

KBO’s board president Shannon Rio has a passion for teaching about birds. Rio explains, “I have always loved birds, and the more I learn about them the more I understand that there is an urgent need to protect birds and their habitats.” Under Shannon’s leadership, Klamath Bird Observatory’s Community Education Program strives to teach people about birds. Shannon believes that the more we know about what we love the more we will be able protect what we love — birds.

Conservation birders visit the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on a multi-day KBO Community Education field trip. Photo by Kirk Gooding

Rio has created KBO’s Talks and Walks. Talks and Walks offers a series of classroom lectures and follow-up field trips that teach community members about birds, science, and bird conservation. Talks and Walks focus on a variety of subjects including bird identification, photography, citizen science, and conservation success stories. One of the program’s recent themes focuses on the value of the United States Wildlife Refuge System. Over 100 years ago, the Refuge System was created to protect habitats that are critical to the survival of migratory birds during their entire annual cycles (that is, breeding, migration, and over-wintering periods). Many KBO Walks and Talks highlight the nearby Klamath Wildlife Refuge Complex, one of our country’s oldest and most important set of migratory bird refuges.

The 2018 Conservation Stamp Set includes the Federal Duck Stamp and KBO’s Conservation Science Stamp. Illustrations by Bob Hautman and Nathan Trimble

One way everyone can help is to support the protection of migratory bird habitat and the science the drives bird conservation. KBO offers a unique Conservation Stamp Set that directly benefits bird habitats and conservation science. The two-stamp set includes: The Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (the Duck Stamp) and KBO’s Conservation Science Stamp. The Federal Duck Stamp is among the most successful conservation tools ever created. Duck Stamp sales contribute directly to habitat conservation on our National Wildlife Refuges. KBO’s Conservation Science Stamp builds on this success by bringing additional support and attention to their regional science-driven conservation efforts. By purchasing this set of conservation stamps, together, birders and hunters send a powerful message — “We believe conservation of non-game birds, gamebirds, and endangered species is a priority for our society.”

To learn more about and participate in Klamath Bird Observatory’s Community Education Program, or to purchase a Conservation Stamp Set, visit www.KlamathBird.org. Also, on October 7th, KBO is holding their Wings and Wine Gala at Grizzly Peak Winery in Ashland, Oregon. Please join the KBO Community for this World Migratory Bird Day event and raise your voice for science-driven bird conservation.

Klamath Bird Observatory advances bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships. We achieves bird conservation in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the migratory ranges of the birds of our region. We developed our award-winning conservation model in the ruggedly beautiful and wildlife-rich Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion of southern Oregon and northern California. Emphasizing high caliber science and the role of birds as indicators of the health of the land, we specialize in cost-effective bird monitoring and research projects that improve natural resource management. Also, recognizing that conservation occurs across many fronts, we nurture a conservation ethic in our communities through our outreach and educational programs. Visit Klamath Bird Observatory at www.KlamathBird.org.

About World Migratory Bird Day:

Word Migratory Bird Day (WMBD), formerly known as International Migratory Bird Day, is an educational campaign that is celebrating its 25th year in 2018. WMBD celebrates and brings attention to one of the most important and spectacular events in the Americas – bird migration. WMBD is coordinated by Environment for the Americas, a non-profit organization that strives to connect people to bird conservation. As a part of WMBD as many as 700 events and programs are hosted annually to introduce the public to migratory birds and ways to conserve them. Through WMBD the conservation community combines our voices into a global chorus to boost the urgent need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats. In 2018 World Migratory Bird Day celebrates Year of the Bird and the actions you can take to help birds, 365 days of the year. For more information about WMBD visit www.migratorybirdday.org.

About Year of the Bird:

In 2018, we mark the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed. In honor of this milestone, more than 100 organizations and nature lovers around the world are joining forces to celebrate the “Year of the Bird” and commit to protecting birds today and for the next hundred years. Year of the Bird is 12 months of storytelling, science, and conservation aimed at heightening public awareness of birds and the importance of protecting these critical species. Each month of Year of the Bird has a call to action — a simple but meaningful way individuals can help birds. By harnessing the collective passion and expertise of bird lovers around the world, we can champion causes for birds and inspire more people to work towards proven solutions. For more information about Year of the Bird visit www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/year-of-the-bird.

Thank you KBO Community, for your sustained financial support of KBO. We recognize and appreciate the choice you make by donating to Klamath Bird Observatory — your contributions encourage and inspire us. As a non-profit, KBO relies heavily on federal and state funding, however private donations are a key part of the revenues that help us achieve our science-driven mission.

As we are well into our 2018 field season we continue to seize opportunities to advance bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships. We are also now facing a new set of challenges — extreme changes in federal funding are putting our work at risk, making private sector support more important than ever. Therefore, the success of our annual spring membership drive is critical. Please support KBO by contributing to our spring membership drive. Your donations support our success.

Your contributions support our research and long-term monitoring.

Our results recently informed the expansion of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument and influenced improved management of this protected area. The science is now a key tool for defending our Monument.

Our science is also elucidating details about unique threats to birds here in our region. For example, forest birds appear to be in steeper decline here in the Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion, as compared to the broader Pacific Northwest region. This makes our science relating to forest protection and restoration that much more critical.

Jaime Stephens (KBO Science Director) was just recognized for her exceptional contributions to the field of bird conservation with the Partners in Flight International Leadership Award. Jaime’s active collaboration with land managers ensures that our science translates into conservation success. She is using science to put oak woodland and forest restoration on-the-ground on both private and public lands.

Your contributions support our education programs.

We are building generations of conservation practitioners. Over the past 20 years we have trained and mentored more than 250 student interns from 18 countries. They are now working to advance conservation as young leaders at universities, natural resource management agencies, and NGOs throughout the world.

Our Community Education programming offers a diversity of learning opportunities that foster an appreciation for birds and an interest in conservation. These include our regular Talk and Walk series of classes and our outreach at festivals throughout the region.

Please support our successful science-driven bird conservation. Right now, your support is critical!

“More than 85 people fanned out across the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument early
Saturday May 26 on a mission to count birds. In small groups, birding experts and citizen-scientists
began at daybreak surveying 11 different sites within the monument.

A total of 112 bird species were identified during this BioBlitz, including both resident and
migrating species. “It’s remarkable that during one eight-hour period nearly half the number of
species that have been reported during the entire month of May in all of Jackson and Siskiyou
counties were recorded,” says Klamath Bird Observatory Executive Director John Alexander.

A BioBlitz is a communal citizen-scientist effort to record as many species as possible within a
designated time and place. “A BioBlitz is a great way to engage the community and connect them to their monument while generating useful data for science and conservation. They are also an excuse for naturalists, scientists, and curious members of the public to get together in the great outdoors for fun and to contribute something meaningful.” explained Howard Hunter, a board member for the Friends of the Monument.” -From the Friends of the Cascades-Siskiyou National Monument’s BioBlitz Press Release.

It’s May in the Year of the Bird and our call to action is Global Big Day! Saturday May 5th is the day people all over the world will be watching birds and putting them on the world map via eBird.

What to do: Look for birds and report what you find at eBird.org in this exciting 24-hour quest to collectively record as many bird species as possible across the world.

How to do it: Watch birds on May 5th –any time from midnight to midnight in your local time zone. It’s that simple. You don’t need to be a bird expert, or go out all day long.
• Get an eBird account if you don’t already have one: eBird is a worldwide bird checklist program used by hundreds of thousands of birders. It’s what allows us to compile everyone’s sightings into a single massive Global Big Day list—while at the same time collecting the data for scientists to use to better understand birds. It’s free. Log your sightings on the eBird website or download the eBird app, for maximum ease-of-use.
• Watch the sightings roll in: During the day, keep an eye on how the lists are growing in different parts of the world. Follow along with sightings from more than 150 countries, including the Cornell Lab’s Team Sapsucker in Colombia, Honduras, and California. Stats will be updated in real-time on our Global Big Day page.

Pro Birder Tips for Big Day Success:
• Explore eBird Hotspots near you.
• Put your birding plans on the worldwide Global Big Day map.
• Get together with friends and set a goal for your birding—most unusual species? Biggest flock? All the species in your favorite family? The possibilities are endless.
• Take photos and add them to your checklist—they might end up on the Global Big Day page!

Why do it?
• Put your birds on the map! Your sightings become part of a global snapshot that helps track the numbers, health, and movements of birds for scientists and conservationists.
• It helps other birders: your data feeds migration forecasts, species checklists, and hotspot maps that are free for all.
• 20,000 bird watchers around the world will be on a 24-hour birding binge; count yourself in their ranks.
• In 2017, bird watchers recorded an incredible 65% of all the bird species on the planet. Can we set a new record?

And don’t miss World Migratory Bird Day! There are 1,200 events happening around the world in 200 cities on Saturday May 12, including two KBO is part of—Rogue Valley Bird Day and the Global Migratory Bird Day Birdwatching Field Trip in Shasta Valley Wildlife Area.

Of course the invaluable citizen science wonder that is eBird is bigger than Global Big Day—watch the birds any day and let your observations add to our body of knowledge, empowering bird conservation science through eBird. Every bird counts so count all your birds!

Klamath Bird Observatory and The Selberg Institute recently completed a successful year-long citizen science project on the beautiful Sampson Creek Preserve just east of Ashland. This work would not have been completed without a group of dedicated citizen scientists who spent many mornings birding the property. During the year 119 species were detected on 105 eBird checklists, with Acorn Woodpecker being the most detected species. Though this project is coming to a close we are excited to announce a new citizen science project on the Grizzly Peak Preserve.

This project offers something for all birders and outdoor enthusiasts. Participants will have the choice to bird on fairly flat terrain walking less than two miles through meadows and oak trees or for more adventurous birders to explore off-trail along a gradient of different habitats. The project will take place on a large parcel of private property along the slopes of Grizzly Peak, with survey locations starting just minutes outside of the city of Ashland boundary and continuing up Shale City road. The Preserve is in the foothills of the Cascades and holds a variety of oak habitats as well as coniferous forests and riparian woodlands. The Preserve is a terrific spot for birding and will give the public a unique opportunity to visit and bird in diverse habitats managed for conservation.

Citizen Scientists will be trained on a simple protocol to learn how to collect data, and the opportunity for monthly surveys will continue throughout the year. If you enjoy looking for owls, you are in luck as well. This project will also include two guided night surveys to inventory the local owl population. Participation in surveys will include some walking and/or hiking, recording all birds observed by sight and/or sound, and entering and submitting your findings into eBird Northwest. With this project we aim to complete a robust inventory for the bird species on the Grizzly Peak Preserve by harnessing the power of Citizen Scientists to collect robust data throughout the breeding, migratory, and winter seasons.

As spring migration is underway surveys are starting at the Grizzly Peak Preserve, if you are interested in participating or would like more information please contact KBO Biologist Ellie Armstrong at eea@KlamathBird.org.

The National Geographic Society, in partnership with National Audubon Society, Birdlife International, and The Cornell Lab of Ornithology have proclaimed 2018 as the Year of the Bird. The Year of the Bird marks 100 years of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act—the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed. The Year of the Bird will celebrate the wonder of our feathered friends and provide an opportunity for people everywhere to recommit themselves to protecting birds. The Year of the Bird will be 12 months of storytelling, science, and conservation aimed at heightening public awareness of birds and the importance of protecting them.

KBO, many other organizations, and people all around the world are committing to help protect birds today and for the next hundred years. Everyone can join in and be a part of the #YearoftheBird! National Geographic will be highlighting simple actions you can take part in each month to make a difference for birds—visit their website (see link below) to read more about this special year. Another wonderful resource is the All About Birds website’s “6 Resolutions To Help You #BirdYourWorld In 2018” (see link below). KBO will post news and updates of these actions and how to stay involved throughout the year through our Call Note blog and at eBird Northwest.

As Thomas Lovejoy, biologist and “godfather of biodiversity” once stated: “If you take care of the birds, you take care of most of the environmental problems in the world.”